Never Alone
by LoveLoveLovix
Summary: Elle is several things. A barista at the Fruity Music Bar. A punk rock princess. And BFFs with co-barista Roxy Quentin. But when a series of events- not to mention a hot pink tabby named Suri- proves she could be the last Earth WITCH, what is she then?
1. Love and Pet Princess: Episode 4

I have always, always, had a weakness for adorable things. It's what lured me into the Love and Pet pet shop that too-sunny Saturday morning. I wouldn't have even been out, it was so sunny and hot and dry, except that I had run out of dark purple nail polish and I had to work at the bar that night.

Yeah, yeah, everyone says that my love of dark purple nail polish is unnatural. Some people say I'm an emo or a goth. And I kind of see their point. Besides my nails, I always have at least fifteen black bangle bracelets on each of my wrists, and usually I'm wearing black.

But that nail polish was _grape_ scented. Do emos ever wear scented polish? If so, I've never met them.

But the point is NOT that I look like a vampire, or that I detested sunny days almost like one. It was that my accidental wander into the shop changed my life forever.

The business was packed. Nobody seemed to notice me, or acknowledge I existed. That was okay, though. Not like I planned to buy anything. I beelined for the pets- in particular, the kitties. I loved kitties.

You can imagine how shocked I was when a tabby snuggled up to me. Because first off- said tabby was hot pink with silver stripes. And second, a tiny pair of wings protruded from her back.

"You like her?" asked a voice behind me.

I turned. "Yeah, but she has..."

"They all do. Her name's Suri," the girl said helpfully. Red hair framed her face and flowed down past her ankles."And if you want to adopt her, she's yours. It's pretty rare that a fairy pet likes someone older than thirteen, so you should feel pretty lucky."

I pulled out my wallet. "How much is she?"

"All our pets are free to someone who will love and care for them," she explained. "It's a way to spread magic back to Earth."

"Magic," I repeated, barely realizing what she said. Suri flew around me, giggling as she popped her tiny face into my screen of blonde and purple hair.

"Yep. My name's Bloom, by the way. You are?"

Well, the staff was friendly, if completely insane. "My name's Elle. Short for Elise. Elise Fabba." What a babble.

But redhead smiled. "Well, Elle, let me show you around the Love and Pet."

Immediately, I was whisked on a tour that made me a bit dizzy and a bit convinced I had entered an elaborate dream. Flying pets... that was one thing. But if I looked left, the pets were singing and dancing. If I looked right, they were dressed in crazy outfits. The only things even vaguely normal about the shop were the clinic and the redhead who was showing me all the crazy stuff.

By the time I left, dazed, with a bubbly, bouncing Suri, I was half convinced that magic was real, and half convinced that my imagination was pretty damn sweet. Either way, I had a pet. A pet which, I suddenly realized, I had no clue what to do with when I went to work that night.

Looked like I'd be making yet another call to Roxy. I whipped out my cell and held one. My BFF was on my speed dial.

She picked up almost instantly. "Hey Elle, what's up?"

"Good news, bad news. What do you want first?"

She sighed. "Give me the bad news."

"Okay. You've got to cover for me tonight. Tell your dad please?"

"Ellllle!" she groaned. "You know he'll just make me come in! He never even BOTHERS trying to call anybody else!"

I felt sorry for her. Even though she liked working as a barista at the Fruity Music Bar in downtown Gardenia, just like me, she got stuck with work days way too often. Mainly because it seemed somebody always (usually me) had to cancel. "Well, I've got a reason!" I insisted. "I just adopted a pet!"

Even over the phone, I could tell that Roxy instantly perked up. "Tell me everything. What kind of animal? What color? Is it a boy, or a girl? Do you need any help caring for it?"

To Roxy, animal talk was like boy gossip. "Her name's Suri. She's a cat, of course." I was mildly insulted that Roxy would even consider I wanted any other pet. No animals other than kittens ever seemed to catch my eye. "A tabby. And she's fine. I'm fine." Naturally I avoided the question about color. Not even pink-haired Rox would believe in a Barbie-colored animal. "So, you'll cover for me?"

"Fine," she agreed. "But I don't see why you couldn't just bring her to work. I bring Artoo." Artoo was her dog. And as for not bringing her to work... well, the reasons seemed pretty obvious to me.

Yet, crazily, I decided something. "That's why I can't work. I'll bring her to the bar to show you on your break. I can't show her off if I'm working!"

"Point. Besides, Andy and his band are playing. You don't wanna miss them, do you, Elle?"

Curse her for teasing me. A LOT of Gardenia High girls had crushes on the local college boys. I wasn't that unusual, honest! "Shut up. I'll see you tonight."

"See you!" she agreed before hanging up.

I felt a little glow from my chat. I was what some called a social butterfly, despite my pop-punk alternative look. I always liked talking to and hanging with my friends.

Not to mention- I was pumped about tonight. I'd have to pull out my little black dress, ballerina flats, redo my nails... which reminded me. I needed more polish. I glanced at the street sign, wondering the quickest way to the shopping center.

But as I looked at the sign that pronunced me on the corner of Rose St. and Pine Lane, I saw a flash of blue and red streak past. My eyes followed automatically, and I was able to focus on a pair of wings and a cascade of red hair. The redhead from Love and Pet? Was it possible?

I looked back at Suri. She was watching with as much interest as I was... only she hovered five feet above the ground. And for a brief flash, I believed it all.


	2. Show Off: Episode 4

That moment of belief didn't last for too long, though. I shook it out of my head and plucked Suri out of the air. "Better not to let anyone see you flying," I murmured. "Anyone sane will already have a time accepting that you look like a Barbie doll with fur."

As we approached the shopping center, I realized something. "Hey, how are we going to get you into the store?" I wondered aloud as I tickled the kitten's belly. "They'll either kick us both out, or think I'm stealing some expensive toy. And you look like you could get into a hell of a lot of mischief all alone." If this was a movie, I'd stick her into the pocket of my jeans, but no way would she either fit or stay put.

I sighed. "Guess I'll have to come back later. Let's get you home, Sur."

We walked across town to my apartment on Thistlevine Avenue. Luckily, Gardenia wasn't a very big town. In fifteen leisurely minutes, I was unlocking our front door. "Hello?" I called as it creaked open. "Mom? Dad? Anyone home?"

"We're in the kitchen, sweetie," called the dreamy voice of Lynda Fabba. I headed there, making sure my cat followed.

The stench greeted me before my mom or dad did. "Ewww," I shrieked. "What are you doing?"

Even with my obvious disgust, Mom didn't stop stirring the grey-green concoction on the stove. "It's a healing salve for Mrs. Palmer, down the road," she said, distracted as always. "Her knee's been bothering her again."

"Oh. Well, anyway," I said, eager to change the topic from Mom's fake magic crap, "I stopped by the new pet store down town, and I adopted a pet."

"A cat, I hope?" My disgust for other animals was hereditary.

"Yeah... sort of."

As if to prove the "sort of" point, Suri flew up to my mother, trailing sparkles behind her. She examined Mom closely, then giggled. As for my mom... she held her hand out, and Sur landed on it gently. "She has a very strong, beautiful aura coming from her," Mom said, fascinated. "And the bond between you two is surprisingly strong for those who have just met."

Finally, Dad looked up from the newspaper he had been hiding behind- as always. "Of course they've got a bond like that!" he chortled. "Ellie rescued the poor dear from a pet store."

"Dad, it wasn't like they were mistreating her!" On the contrary. Redhead and Co. could probably take much better care of Suri than I'd be able to.

"Of course not," he agreed, folding the paper. "I bet they were perfectly capable people. Although I wouldn't be surprised if they were conducting genetic experiments on the poor buggers."

Dad, name Hunt Fabba, was a scientist. But, in the spirit of my weirdly obsessive family, he was in the field of paranormal research. He and Mom met on a ghost-hunting mission, where she was doing her "sensitive psychic" whatchamacallit, and he was trying to be scientific. I have really no clue how it all worked, so don't bother asking.

He pulled on Suri's wings. "Or maybe it's a real instance of magical phenomena," he mused.

Sur yelped and flew over to me. "Dad, you're hurting her and scaring her. I don't know what all Suri is, but she's mine."

"Suri? Is that her name? Means 'princess,' doesn't it?"

"Yes," my mom answered. Slowly and distracted as always.

"I've got to head out and do some shopping before tonight. Can I trust Sur with you two?" I said sternly.

Dad held his right hand up jokingly. "On my honor as I scientist, I will not dissect the brains of the winged kitten."

"I hold you to it," I replied as I turned my back and headed out the door.

Seven hours and a manicure later, I was securing a little black ribbon to a collar I found on my old stuffed cat. Slipping the collar gently over Sur's head, then tightening it so she couldn't slip out, I was satisfied. "There. Can't have you getting away."

I knotted the other end of the ribbon to my bag, which left both my hands free, but Suri still safe. I gave myself a quick once-over in my mirror, then left the apartment. Suri flew around me as much as the ribbon allowed. That was cool. It meant my plan worked.

When we arrived at the Fruity Music Bar, it was already packed. Andy and his friends (who, while good musicians, were not as cute) had taken center stage. And Roxy's dad was busy as ever. Roxy was no where in sight, though I assumed she was probably off serving drinks somewhere.

I waltzed up to my boss. "Hey there, Klaus. What's up?" I always called Roxy's dad by his first name. He was practically like a (demanding, annoying) second dad to me.

He looked at me. "Didn't you call in?"

"Yeesh. Show up at your workplace and everyone thinks that's all you can do. Yeah, I called in. I adopted a cat and wanted to show Rox."

He pointed down, and I leaned over the bar. There, Roxy sat comforting Artu. "Hey Roxy girl!" I exclaimed.

She looked up. "Elle! There you are! I thought you'd never show!"

Artu growled. He liked me about as much as I liked him. "Oh, shush," Roxy said, stroking him. "There's nothing to be scared of." She suddenly turned back to me. "Speaking of, where's Suri?"

In response, my cat flew out of my bag and as close to my friend as she could. Roxy gasped. "Whoa. That cat... she's flying!" It was like the color wasn't even an issue.

"Yeah. Weird, huh?"

Roxy reached up and untied Suri. "Awwww. She's so cute! Where'd you adopt her again?"

"The Love and Pet, downtown."

She nodded. "That place. I was curious about it!"

"It's really pretty. I like it." Creepy magic issue aside.

"Think they'd have anything there for Artu?"

"No. Most of it was geared towards the little buggers they have at the shop."

Roxy leaned over towards me. "You should show me tomorrow. We're both off!"

I cuddled Suri. "I dunno. As much as I love Sur already... what if another one takes a liking to me. A DOG. I couldn't handle two winged pets."

Roxy smiled. "Pretty please? For your best friend?"

"Fine, whatever," I sighed. "We'll go."


	3. Destiny: Episode 5

I had a dream that night.

God, that sounds cliched. Actually, it IS cliched, but you can't exactly control what happens to you, right? So yeah, I had a dream, and yeah, it was what finally started to help me make sense of all the junk going on, and if you're not cool with this so obvious overusage of plot, well, whatever.

Anyway, it started off like any other dream I had- Andy. Me. Someplace besides the Fruity Music Bar. Without Roxy, however much I loved her.

But then Andy started to pop in and out of view, like he was a bad hologram. And my hair got all swept up by the wind. Storm clouds moved in to the beach we had been relaxing on, and I shivered, although I was wearing a really cool black jacket that SO wasn't part of my real-life wardrobe, and lime green lace gloves. So, the creepy was balanced with the cool.

Until I realized I was hovering off the ground. That's when creepy went off the chart, the awesome outfit I was in didn't even matter, and I was lucky enough to wake up. Screaming, of course, like a little girl.

Suri looked at me, half amused half annoyed. I guess I woke her up. I smiled tentatively, and motioned her over. Immediately, Her Pinkness flapped her silly little wings towards my bedside table. "Hey, Sur," I said, my voice shaky. "How'd you sleep before I had to go and disturb you?"

The pink tabby whirled and twirled gracefully in the air. I took that to mean, "fine."

I got up from my bed and undid the ponytail I wore to bed. I took five minutes to slip into my clothes, then headed downstairs, where Mom was brewing something that smelled quite a bit better than healing salve. "Lavender for relaxation?" I asked, immediately emphasizing the statement with a yawn.

"Mmmhmm."

Barely an answer. "Hey, Mom, after breakfast Roxy and I are meeting up."

That one got a response. "And how is her destiny coming?"

"Ummmm..." Okay. So how do you answer a question like that. "I suppose it's going great," I supplied weakly.

"Tell her that sometimes you need to ignore the brightness of a future and look towards the brightness of an aura," Mom said helpfully.

"Fine," I agreed, not intending to do it. Mom freaked Roxy out ever since we were seven, when Mom read Roxy's future. Apparently, my best friend had some incredible destiny in front of her, and needed all the supernatural advice she could get. That little piece of aura info? That was actually a one on the zero-to-ten weirdness scale. Once, she told Roxy that two tall strangers with hair of fire would "hold the key". While it WAS a very creative twist on Tall Dark Stranger, it wasn't exactly the normal "stay away from sex, drugs, and cigarettes" talk most girls get.

Mom, thankfully, gave up the psychicness and focused on normal parental stuff. "What are you doing?"

"Going back to the Love and Pet. Rox wants to see it herself."

"That's nice. Look out for those that would do you harm," my mother responded as I grabbed a muffin and headed for the door.

Roxy was outside already, leaning on her bike and tapping her toe dramatically. "Nice to see you, Elle Fabba. Finally."

I rolled my eyes in response. "It's barely nine AM."

"Exactly, the Love and Pet's been open for almost an hour according to their site. Let's get going!"

We biked there, me on my mom's navy blue bike with a sign on the back advertising "Fabba Readings. Palms, Cards, and more!" Roxy, who had only a way-cool dad, no witchcraft-obsessed mom, had her normal bicycle.

It didn't take long, but too long for what we found- a sign saying "be back soon" and a random pile of water seeping in through the crack of the door. "That can't be good for the pets," Roxy said, shaking her head.

"Well, we can't do anything about it," I mentioned. "We'll come back tomorrow and see if they're dead."

Roxy glared. "That's not even funny, Elle."

I knew it, but I had always tended to make jokes about serious subjects. In truth, I was worried about the animals that must have been Suri's friends, and why Redhead and Co. hadn't opened the store yet. Or why they were out, or whatever.

We headed over to Roxy's house, mainly because I was desperate to get away from my mom. We walked past Klaus in the kitchen as we headed up to Roxy's room, and he raise dhis eyebrows at me. "Going to be at work today, Elle?"

"Right on time, Klaus," I said. "I need money as much as the next girl."

Roxy pointed at herself. "Meaning I need some cash too. If you want to be nice and give me my paycheck a bit early..."

Klaus laughed. "Sorry, Rox. Not the way it works in the business world."

On that note of sad non-parental-favoritism, we entered Roxy's room and shut the door. She took position on the bed, and I slammed onto her rug. "So," Roxy asked. "What did your mom say about me this time?"

I don't even know why she asks if it creeps her out, PLUS she doesn't believe it. "Watch your future, look for people's auras."

"Elle, I'm sorry, but your mom is a weirdo."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't I know it."

"And is aura that little glow around people?" she asked.

"Yeah." I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why? Are you worried about it?"

"No, it's just that... Elle, you've sort of got a little glow to you?"

I looked. "I don't see a thing."

Roxy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "I... I don't see it anymore. Maybe it's just a halo. Maybe I need glasses." But I could almost hear her unspoken, _Maybe your mom isn't such a weirdo after all._

I stood. "If you think there's more too it than being in serious need of ugly frames, we should go talk to my mom. She supposedly knows all about this destiny of yours."

"My destiny? My destiny is to take over the Fruity Music Bar after college. To probably become a Crazy Dog Lady. If either of us has a destiny, it's you, Elle. You've got the whole supernatural family, and the insane looks, and smarts. You'll go to college and then save the world."

I blinked. I hadn't really thought of myself like that. Roxy was really the pretty one, with exotic hair and raw talent.

"But fine, if you think your mom can help, we'll go."


End file.
